Visitor
by HovaStrider
Summary: It's not often that something unexpected happens to the ghostly master of all time. -A series of one shots involving Clockwork and his unusual guest. Enjoy
1. Chapter 1

The portal opens so suddenly, yet for him he would've seen it. He was the time watcher, a keeper of time and all things that happen along its line, the great immortal ghost with memories of what was and would've been, and knowledge of present and futures that only a handful of living could even hope to comprehend, and remain in their own minds.

However he didn't see it, that concerned him, he knew everything that happened, especially with his own domain among his hundreds of clocks and time windows mirroring actual events that called for his attention. His gaze now fixed on the one glowing different from the rest, his mind working to remember if he had ever seen a gateway this color before, or if this had ever happened before in past or future. But no matter how he thought he couldn't think of a time when a portal in his realm shined this way.

Blue was from his own doing, no matter where and when he opened them. Purple was when those annoying eyeballs calling themselves the Watchers came to call upon him for one reason or another, of which he would always knew the reason. And green was a common color for ghost portals in the zone, be they natural or created By other ghosts. And of course the solid yellow was the one solid portal created by a pair of humans who would study ghosts from time to time. But this one...he had never seen a color like this before...a deep red, it tinged the whole of it as it's center hid a blurred image of dust and decay, a dead world. But when? And where? He couldn't see.

Something, was coming, a ghost perhaps? Black cloth like body flapping behind it as it slipped through like a wet hand through a bubble. Sounds burst through behind him, shouts for someone to come back, some in anguish, others in anger. The figure landed brown boots on the floor turning to the gate and touching a clawed hand to the surface. The red faded, the scene becoming nothing, and the window went blank for a while before allowing another scene in time to show through.

The figure sighed as if tired; turning to survey surroundings and take off the dusty hood he had mistaken for a ghost body.

The master of time now saw this was no ghost, but it was no human either. The figure was a tall female, thin with some sign of muscle, slight pointed ears held back strands of hair so dark it was almost black save for a streak of fawn in her bangs, what wasn't behind her ear was tied in a simple ponytail with what looked like leather. She stepped back from time window, graceful as a panther, eyes turning to look at her new surroundings. One glance at that tanned face, the one bright yellow eye and the dark band covering the other, he knew this being had lived than any human, seen things, done things, that eye; it was aged with those things, yet still shined with life.

The figure's gaze landed on him, eye narrowing slightly, turning cold. Her lip twitching slightly as if she wanted to say something but decided against it. Instead she walked past him to the door, supposedly ignoring his presence. He said nothing despite being slightly annoyed that he had been in plain sight at the time.

As she crossed the room a flicker on one of the windows caught the ghost's attention. He raised his staff and clicked the button on the top, a swirl of blue energy and all of time halted, leaving only him to move freely. No point in letting his guest wonder about without supervision, first he would tend to the issue in the time windows and then he would release time and see what where this newcomer had gotten to.

Although it was only for a moment, to him it took nearly two days time to fix the problem in the time steam via his time window, he even had to separate the two time-streams of his tower and reality in order to fix a part of the problem in person, unknown to the persons at fault for causing it of course.

Once done he settled the time stream to correct itself and went to where his guest should still be standing still, halted in time and unable to know. But the space was empty, she wasn't there.

He checked his staff, an unfamiliar feeling of confusion crossing his ever aging face. The flow of time around his tower was still stationary. Aside from him and his time windows nothing had moved, not even a second. He did however hear something, footfalls echoing in his vast hallways.

He turned unable to believe it as his red eyes fell on her, that same figure was coming down the hallway in slow easy strides, her black cloak still wrapped around her. She looked at him coolly, showing no anger or fear. She stood there, staring, then a small smile curled upon her lips.

"You look disappointed." She spoke in a voice that had a light purr, but it was harsh, like someone who was used to danger and was always ready for the attack.

He didn't answer her, instead he floated so their eyes were on an equal level no matter his current form. She nodded, "I see you have no intent on a direct attack. that's a wise choice few think of."

As she spoke she partly removed her cloak, showing a sheathed Katana at her side. The time ghost's eyes narrowed, watching eons worth of timelines; present past and future, he recognized many things at a glance. A threat that could very much be backed up for instance; he had recognized that this girl had fighting experience when she first stepped into his tower. But now that she was showing she was armed and wouldn't hesitate...

His grip tightened on his staff, normally threats like hers were pointless as he was powerful enough to stop and manipulate several time streams at once. In fact he had originally planned to confront this girl and send her somewhere and when she could do little damage to the time stream he protected. stopping time around her if she tried something. However, time was already stopped within his tower completely and yet he was not the only one moving freely.

"Who are you?" he said flatly. the girl's pointed ears twitched at the sound of his echoing voice.

"Introductions?" she purred once more, "Very well, you first."

his dislike of her became much deeper than before at the smile crossing her face, "I am known best as Chronos, but there are those who would call me Clockwork. I am the master of time, all-seeing all-knowing, able to watch everything and everyone, for all of time gone and to come."

He wasn't bragging, with his powers he could do exactly as he said, even at his leisure in fact. However there wasn't anything wrong with adding a little warning to his words. the girl's expression didn't change however, instead she reached for pocket and tossed up a swirl of powder, which halted as soon as it left her hand, frozen in time like a photograph.

"And yet you haven't frozen me with your little time trick have you?" she said with a laugh, "Chronos of all time eh? wonder how much you know about me...oh wait, you don't, otherwise you wouldn't have asked, or...let me wonder your tower for the last two days."

The grip on his staff grew even tighter, this girl was mocking him, something not easily done...normally he could laugh such things off and show why mockery was nothing to him, or better yet just ignore it, he was everything he said he was and more. But that was because he knew just about everything, he knew if someone was going to mock him and why such small things didn't matter, but with her...it bothered him greatly...that she was right, he knew nothing about her, or where she came from.

The girl's smile faded, she sighed heavily, letting her cloak fall back into place, "But then we are on equal terms, even after you told me of what you are...I know nothing of who you are."

"Explain."

The girl waved her hand, a shadow nearest her contrasted and reshaped into a shallow arc, she set herself down on it and leaned back. a perfect chair with a simple wave of her hand, "I know now of your powers but not of your intentions and character, you can't learn those from a name. As to mine, its Blade."

Clockwork raised a brow at her, she was right, though he knew she was a skilled fighter at first glance at her. the unknown still bothered him.

"why are you here?"

Blade scoffed, the cold smile never leaving her lips, "I don't know, it's just that simple, I don't know why I am here anymore than where I am."

Questions through phrases, he was not in the mood to answer, "In that case tell me where you came from."

Blade's smile vanished, she stared at him expressionless for a long time. finally she sighed, "A place where war destroyed everything...including what could've saved it."

Clockwork frowned, his hand pressing a switch on his staff to release the time stop around his tower. He recognized that look, many millennia of watching people throughout history battling for something, that look was only gained if they felt they had lost more than they won, or if they had lost more than they thought possible.

He began floating down one of the hallways, gesturing for her to follow, "This tower has many rooms Miss Blade. I think I can accommodate your presence for now."

Blade stood up, dispelling the shadow behind her back to its original form. but she made no move to follow.

"Are you sure you want me hanging around Chronos? I could prove to be trouble for you since I'm immune to your control of time after all."

The time ghost didn't turn around, "existing is still being a part of the timeline Miss Blade. the only reason i think your imune to my powers is because you exist outside of another time, another world. somewhere my powers have no eyes. which is why i am letting you stay here."

The girl's distrust of him was apparent, her golden eye narrowed to a sliver, "I still don't see why, most all-knowing beings prefer to get rid of a thing like me."

"How unfortunate." Clockwork waved his staff to one of the time windows, Blade's eyes widened at the sight of the image that appeared before her, "There are more ways to remove obstacles than to simply eliminate them. time itself proves that over and over again after all."

The window's view faded, leaving a mirror like surface in its place. Blade turned to the ghost with new sight, saying nothing as he gestured to her again.

"Please, this way."

Blade followed silently, her fingers instinctively resting on her sword, ready to strike at any time. but she needn't bother, after all the time ghost had no intentions of harming his unusual guest.


	2. Chapter 2

Blade looked out the window of time, her golden eye gazing on a gentle glow of a red setting sun. the scene she saw was of a sunset over a vast desert. all she had to do was step through and she would feel the heat of the day fading into a darkening sky. instead she stayed right where she was in the dry lifeless cold of the tower, she watched the scene before her, a simple sunset glowing red...deep red...

...red was such a stragne color to her, it was the color shown for hearts on a day of love and anger in the glowing eyes of a beast. she sighed as she looked at the card in her hand. a red heart shaped object no bigger than her hand with a simple 'cheer up' written inside.

she glanced back at the calendar again, "why this of all days? I don't understand how anyone can enjoy this kind of celebration."

"aw your just sore cause you think you don't have anyone to love."

Blade's eye narrowed as she turned to a white faced fox in a green cloak, smileing widely at her. Blade turned in her seat, tossing the paper into the animal's face, "This is from you I presume."

The fox flinched as she reached a paw out to grab it, "Hey! I thought it would be a good thing for you. your always so grumpy and it is Valentine's day back home."

"On your home Ren, not mine." Blade said simply, "Though how you can possibly keep track of that i'll never know."

Ren shrugged, slipping off a white fox shaped mask from her face. Her body imeadtely altering to a young girl with cheerful face and soft amber eyes similar to the one eyed grump before her, "Ok Blade, tell me what's up? did you have a fight again? the kind you don't like? you know.. with words?"

Blade didn't answer as she stared out the window at a group of people scrounging among some debris, she frowned, "Look at them, like rats that don't know their home is no good anymore. intelligent enough to do something about it and yet they do nothing."

Ren glanced over Blade's shoulder, "you mean those guys? yeah it's kinda sad when humans kill their world without realizing the cause."

Blade sighed, "fools the lot of them."

Ren gripped the one eyed grump from behind in a big bear hug, "Aww don't be so harsh, hey why don't we go down there and hint at a way for them to get started in fixing everything."

"Get off of me." Blade growled getting up so Ren had no choice. she walked away to the nearest ledge looking over the horizoin, "I hear you've brought a Terra forming sphere here."

Ren nodded, "Yup, in another hundred years this place will be growing buds again, and another twenty years after that **all** the water will be safe again. and give or take another fifty the place will be as lush as it was before all this war started. all the humans have to do is..."

"your wasting your breath." Blad sighed, "Even the children of this world are violent. they would only tear this place apart before it has a chance to flourish again."

Ren sighed, Blade hiding the expression that she was glad of what little silence filled the room. short as it was.

"That depends on them, if they screw this up again then you can say I told you so and let this world fade into a dusty uninhabitable rock." Ren handed pack the smoothed paper tapping it to the table, "At least keep this close. then you can have the choice of what happens to it."

With a small hop and a slip of her hand over face, Ren transformed into a white faced fox once more. slipping into a narrow space under the rubble she vanished. the casual observer would probably have thought she left through some secret means. But it was no secret to the one eyed girl, Ren had jumped worlds.

She eyed the paper again, picking it up to stare at a medallion the size of a marble, shimmering in bright rainbows and swirling inside almost as if alive as it hung from it's tiny silver chain. She picked it up with a sigh and put it on, gazing out into the red sky.

"East or west?"

***8***

"Sun always rises in the east." a familiar voice spoke behind her. Blade didn't so much as flinch as she turned around.

"I see your one eyed visitors have left."

"The watchers are highly important to our society." clockwork said simply, "Or at least they like to think so."

Blade allowed herself a small smile, wrapping her cloak tighter around herself as she fingered a silver chain around her neck.

"Shall I get you something warm?" Clockwork asked, noticing her shivering.

Blade didn't answer right away as she traveled down a now familiar path through the tower, secretly fingering a silver chain around her neck, "I'm going to train a while. wait until the noise stops before you look in on me."

Clockwork frowned, glancing back to the fading red sky portrayed through the time window. _ That place again, always at sunrise. _ he thought, dispelling the image with a wave of his staff.


End file.
